Recently, dairy advocates from across the country met on Capitol Hill to urge lawmakers to support the agricultural labor reform. This is in conclusion of a National Milk Producers Federation summit for state dairy associations. According to the National Milk Producers Federation, quote, the two-day meeting brought more than three dozen advocates to Washington, with farmers and industry leaders sharing priorities and strategies on dairy issues ranging from truck weights and investment tax credits to agricultural labor reform legislation introduced by Agriculture Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson.
Doug Holland, president of the North Carolina Dairy Producers Association, said, quote, ag labor is one of the most important issues of any in agriculture right now. The NMPF website describes the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act as, quote, the most significant reform to the ag workforce seen in decades. For dairy farmers, the bill grants meaningful access to the H-2A program, the main agricultural labor visa, by removing the seasonal requirements of the program and allowing contracts up to 350 days of the year.
The bill also streamlines the application process, addresses cost concerns, and provides a targeted mechanism to help the current dairy workforce transition to a workable visa program, ensuring a smoother transition to H-2A.
Audio Reporting by Elizabeth Sanders for Southeast AgNet.